Vers Le Soleil
by suena
Summary: <html><head></head>Loving her meant stepping away from the darkness that had always surrounded him and moving towards the sun, but in getting too close, he was bound to be burned.</html>


**STRANGERS**

"Sasuke!" The cry was shrill, pain-filled and right on point. It was a cry meant to induce adrenaline to the named, a cry meant to boost the speed at which he was running... a cry meant to lead.

Feet, moving too fast to see with the naked eye, he was a phantom slowly fading into the shadows cast by the setting sun. Moving from tree to tree he covered the land as quickly as they predicted. At this rate, it would all be over within the hour. Again, as they'd predicted.

He knew they were there, he could feel and see every set of eyes watching him and still he continued on. Love makes you do things like that. He ran head long into the trap, sure of his strength, sure that they'd be the ones walking out..._they_ wouldn't.

_"Black Bird has entered the premises." _

It was a field, at least 100km on either side were barren of trees, they wanted to make sure he was out in the open, no hiding places, no surprises.

On her knees, body heavy in her advanced pregnancy, there she sat. Eyes puffy, nose running, dirt and blood covering her bare feet. Hands bound behind her back, gag loose around her bruised neck, the sight of her made his gut twist.

"Sasu-!" She screamed again tears cutting the plea short. "It's a trap!"

**- 15 months before-**

She lay near the river bank, the plain grey shirt and pants she had on were frayed and sun bleached, hair matted to her head, lips chapped and body covered in bruises and cuts.

Curiously he watched her with an acute sense of familiarity. The man walked out of the wooded area into the open and began towards her, blankly taking in her broken form.

Her eyes were open, lifeless though they were.

'Hyuga.' He noted.

Listening, he distinctly made out the shallow sound of her heart from where he stood. 'She's not dead, yet.'

"Hey." He said crouching down and slapping her cheek.

A small sound came from deep in her throat, half sigh and half groan.

Straightening back up he turned, his curiosity already having lapsed to boredom. He'd moved a few feet away when he watched her rise.

Turning back he watched the pained expression on her face as she got to her feet. Watched as she hobbled toward him. "Sasuke Uchiha." She croaked through busted lips.

"..." Sharingan pierced her. "What's your name?"

The question hung in the air for what seemed like hours when she finally answered, "Hinata." Clearing her throat a little her gaze met his, "Hinata Hyuga, of The Village Hidden in The Leaves."

With no other questions to ask he deactivated his Sharingan and again turned to leave.

She shuffled after him, breathing heavily after just a few feet she made for a pathetic picture.

'_She _is a Hyuga?' He scoffed thinking of a long deceased ninja he'd seen fight in his earlier years. Remembering the ferocity he'd seen in the boys eyes, he mentally compared it to the dead look in hers.

Glaring he turned to her again, "Leave, Hyuga. I'm not in the habit of killing ninja as pathetically weak as you, but I will. Fuck off." He growled.

With a worried expression she bit her lip and took a step closer to him, "Sau-" Before she could finish the sentence he'd pinned her to the ground and had a hand wrapped tightly around her neck.

He hadn't even needed turned on his Sharingan.

She saw stars and for a terrifying moment was sure he'd broken her ribs.

He could feel her pulse bounding rapidly against his hand and listened as she desperately tried to breathe. Tightening his grip he watched the blood rush to her face.

Preoccupied as he was, Sasuke jumped at the feel of her hand at his side. A sickly green glow emanated from her palm, he relaxed his hold at the cool press of her hand on a wound he'd received hours earlier during an encounter with a few rogue ninja.

It had been years since he had been healed, he'd forgotten how itchy it felt when the cells regenerated at the warped speed. 'Like a scab.'

She'd barely gotten it closed when she finally passed out from the lack of oxygen.

Sasuke released her neck.

As she took in a huge gulp of air, her lungs expanded and she coughed rolling onto her side she curled her legs into her body and lay in a heap.

She reminded Sasuke of a baby bird he'd once seen. It had fallen out of its nest, its pink featherless body had lain in the dirt, helpless against the ants that had besieged it in less than twenty seconds.

"Hinata." He said.

No answer.

Sighing he leaned over and watched her neck, sure enough her heart still beat strongly near her jugular. He thought then of Karin. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her back to the stream.

-**TBC**

**Suena**: I dont own Naruto. R&R


End file.
